27.8.13

The Alcock Internationals- game 1.

From the Secretary of the Football Association

A match between the leading representatives of the Scotch and English sections will be played at The Oval on Saturday the 19th February next, under the auspices of the Association. Players duly qualified and desirous of assisting either party must communicate with Mr AF Kinnaird of 2 Pall Mall East, SW or Mr J Kirkpatrick, Admiralty, Somerset House, WC on behalf of the Scotch, or with Mr Charles W Alcock, Boy Court, Ludgate Hill, EC or Mr RG Graham, 7 Finch Lane, EC on the part of the English.The Field 22nd January 1870

Crawford- 17 year old scores fluky long range goal

Charles Alcock's deeds speak of a missionary zeal for promoting Association Football. He was, of course, the founder of the FA Cup tournament. Additionally Alcock was also a prime mover in the development of international football.Prior to the first officially recognized international in 1872 Alcock arranged a series of matches between 'England' and 'Scotland'.These matches were far from the formal occasions that international matches became within a few years. They were played at The Oval, the headquarters of English football at the time, on account of Alcock's ease of access to the facilities as secretary of Surrey County Cricket Club, but watched by small crowds ( ranging from 500 to just under 1000- football was not a great draw as a spectator sport in the early days-cricket was still very much the national game- 2,000 watched the 1872 Cup Final at The Oval and between 2,500 and 4,000 were at the 1873 international at the same ground).The main barrier to these games being considered true internationals is the absence of Scotsmen! They were, effectively, between scratch teams drawn from Alcock's Old Boys' associates- the class of men who at the time made up the players, administrators and enthusiasts of the game. The Morning Post described the team for the 5th match as 'the Scotchmen of the metropolis'.The first match featured only one man who was actually born in Scotland- Kenneth Muir Mackenzie. His teammates were 6 English born, and 1 each born in Wales, Jersey, Canada and India. The excellent historian Andy Mitchell has established that 10 of the Scotland team did in fact have bona fide Scottish heritage. For good measure 3 of the England team were born oversea (2 in India and 1 in Ireland).There were only 2 non public schoolboys involved-Alfred J. Baker and Alexander Nash. The old man of the England XI was Edward E. Bowen (32) whilst Morten in opposition was about 38. England featured 3 teenagers (Vidal-16, Thornton-17, Crake-18 ) and 'Scotland' 2 (Crawford -17, Gordon-19).The rather casual approach might be reflected in the fact that for the first match there were no officials , and that Crawford scored Scotland's goal from long range when the English decided to play with 11 outfielders and no goalkeeper. The teams for the first match lined up as follows. Note that many of the players were associated with multiple clubs (such was the nature of the clubs- metropolitan institutions and old boys clubs). Here I have recorded the player affiliation as it was represented in the press at the time. All 5 matches were played at The Oval.Game 1:

‘England’ 1-1 ‘Scotland’ 05.03.70

‘England’

‘Scotland’

Alfred H. Thornton

Harrow Chequers

Alexander Morton

Crystal Palace

Born in India, he later became a banker.

Morton later represented England in an official international.

Charles Alcock (c)

Harrow Chequers

Robert Crawford

Harrow School

Arguably the most influential figure in the history of football.

Served in the Afghan War with distinction but later found infamy having beaten his manservant to death in Africa

Edward E. Bowen

Wanderers

William Gladstone

Old Etonians

A master at Harrow School

Son of the Prime Minister WE Gladstone and himself an MP

Alfred J. Baker

NNs

George Gordon

NNs

A Civil servant who emigrated to Australia

William C. Butler

Barnes

Charles Baillie Hamilton

Civil Service FC

The only member of the England XI who was not a member of the Wanderers club, he later became a captain in the army.

William P. Crake

Harrow School

William Baillie

Hamilton

Harrow Chequers

Crake was born in India and came to England to attend Harrow school. He later returned to India as a merchant. In 1872 he won the FA Cup with Wanderers.

The Baillie Hamilton brothers were both Harrow boys who went on to become prominent Civil Servants

Evelyn Freeth

Civil Service

Arthur Kinnaird

Crusaders

Went on to become a prominent Civil Servant, for which he was knighted.

He was orphaned during the Indian Mutiny. 3 times Cup winner with Wanderers (1876,77& 78). Later capped by England in an official international (1877)

Giulio Cowley Smith

Crusaders

J Wingfield Malcolm

London Scottish Rifles

Another MP

Robert W. Vidal

Westminster School

Kenneth

Muir Mackenzie

Old Carthusians

'The prince of dribblers', Robert Walpole Sealy Vidal was later known as Robert Walpole Sealy. He playd in 3 FA Cup Finals, winning in 1872 (Wanderers) and 1874 (Oxford University). Served on the FA Committee 1872 and 1874. 1 cap for England in official internationals (1873).